1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal and a function limiting method, particularly to a portable terminal suitably applied to a mobile phone unit or the like incorporating a noncontact IC (Integrated Circuit) card function unit and a method of limiting the use of the noncontact IC card function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Regarding a mobile phone unit which uses an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, such as a GSM (Global Systems for Mobile communications) terminal and a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) terminal, when the SIM card having the subscriber number of a third party is inserted therein, the mobile phone unit can be used by the third party. The SIM card is an IC card issued by a mobile phone company, in which subscriber information is recorded.
Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2004-193641 discloses an automobile telephone apparatus in which an SIM card is used to enable selective use of a plurality of mobile phone units of different telephone numbers, for example.